All of these attacks on Joe the Plumber are designed to change the subject from the fact that Joe the Plumber tricked Obama into revealing what he really wants to do: “spread the wealth around.”
I’ve seen this sort of thing happen locally here in York, PA. There is a cadre of politicians who run the city. Everyone who opposes them finds his life story in the local paper, with the most unsavory parts emphasized and distorted.
We formed a taxpayer committee to protest a proposed 40 per cent increase in property taxes. A city council woman, who is a member of the cadre, sent an email to the the city treasurer inquiring about any member or associate of the taxpayer group who was behind in paying any taxes. Their names were published in the local newspapers. All of this was designed to change the subject from whether a tax increase was necessary to whether our group had any moral authority to oppose them.
The only saving factor was that the city treasurer was not a member of the cadre, in fact, he despised them. He leaked a copy of the email to a member of the taxpayer group, who gave it to me. I gave it to a reporter, who published it in the morning paper. (And the tax increase was reduced to a still outrageous 17?)
That member of the group successfully ran for city council. The resulting attacks on her, and published revelations about her family finances almost destroyed her life.
When someone ran for mayor against this cadre, his past financial difficulties were published in the newspapers.
I ran unsuccessfully (barely) for city controller. I escaped this because I went on the attack immediately against the unsavory aspects of the cadre members, and I’ve been squeeky clean for most of my life (at least since the 1960’s) and I’ve held volunteer offices in several local charities. I also successfully provoked the city council woman who leads the cadre into threatening me in front of two reporters.
All of the members of the cadre have had many past indiscretions, including owing back taxes, and going through bankruptcies. A city council woman, the leader of the cadre often gets opposition candidates thrown off the ballot on technicalities (sound familiar?), but these don’t seem to matter to the idiot voters in this city.
So, Joe the plumber is facing what all amateurs face when entering the political arena. We have no idea of the depths to which the pros will sink to maintain their power.
Your comment provided me with insight as to just WHY the Dems and MEDIA have engaged in this destruction of JTP... they want to establish that he does not have the MORAL AUTHORITY to ask the question he asked the BIG ZERO. This is truly scary.
According to the Left, you have to be flawless to have an opinion, to matter, to exist, to live. Except, of course, if you're of the Left - then having no moral compass at all is integral to your identity.
Sad.
I often think of the Palin family in this context. Yes, Sarah is a politician, but barely by Washington standards. She’s got to be completely amazed at the depths her opponents sink to.